1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to fastening systems, and in particular to a system and method for fastening tubes to patients.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various fastening systems and methods have heretofore been devised for meeting the requirements of particular applications. For example, in the medical field, a variety of fastening systems are employed in connection with various medical procedures. Previous medical fastening systems include sutures, clamps, belts, ties, adhesive tape and other tapes. Common medical fastening procedures include fastening tubes to patients.
Medical patients are intubated in connection with a number of common medical procedures. For example, nasogastric tubes are inserted into the patient's stomach via a nostril for aspirating the stomach contents. Tubes are commonly inserted through stomal openings, e.g., in connection with ileostomies, gastrostomies, etc.
Intravenous (IV) tubing, catheters, fiber optic cables and electrical wire leads from electrodes all present problems associated with fastening tubes, cables and leads to patients. Frequently, a tube-to-patient connection with some structural integrity is desired, i.e., to reduce the risk of injury from the tube being torn loose from the patient. Since considerable tensile force can be exerted on such tubing (e.g., by an intubated patient rolling over in bed), previous solutions such as secure taping with strong adhesive tape have been utilized with some success. However, there are disadvantages associated with the prolonged application of adhesive tape. Since many types of adhesive tape used for medical applications are relatively impervious, skin covered thereby is susceptible to maceration and the formation of milia consisting of inflamed hair follicles and glands.
Tubes and other flexible lines can also be sutured to patients, but there are disadvantages associated with this technique. For example, the sutures can be uncomfortable to the patient, and can cause infection, inflammation and scaring.
Improved patient comfort can be achieved by applying semi-permeable membranes, which tend to be permeable to vapors, to wound sites. Such membranes are available from several companies, including: "Polyskin" from Kendall Health Care Products Company; "Opsite" from Smith & Nephew, Inc.; "Bioclusive" from Johnson & Johnson Products, Inc.; and "Tegaderm" from 3M Health Care. Such membranes commonly have adhesive faces for adhesion to patient's skin, but are normally relatively thin with little structural integrity. Thus, for all of their patient comfort advantages, the semi-permeable membranes are often not a satisfactory substitute for adhesive tape.
Tapes are also available which have permeable characteristics, but many of them lack sufficient structural integrity for practical use as the sole and exclusive fastening system for tubes and other flexible lines.
However, the semi-permeable membrane materials referred to above can be combined with other, stronger materials, such as flexible plastic tubing, to provide wound dressings with considerable advantages over previous, conventional gauze-and-tape dressings. The Zamierowski U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,880 discloses such a wound dressing which effectively exploits the combined advantages of semi-permeable membranes and flexible plastic tubing.
The applicability of such a combination to a variety of fastening applications is addressed by the present invention.
Another problem commonly encountered in medical surgical procedures relates to the evacuation of blood from the operating site. Devices have been provided for capturing the blood and other fluids, e.g., eye drains available from Merocel Corporation which are fastened to patient's cheeks during ophthalmologic procedures. Sponges and gauze are often used for evacuating blood and other fluids from operating sites. Suction tubes are also utilized, e.g., with cannulae, and can be provided with small sponge attachments on their ends for gathering fluid, e.g. Tebbett's suction pads available from Dow Corning. The present invention can be utilized as a device for fastening and fluidically communicating surgical sponges with suction for the collection of blood and other fluids during surgery, which can reduce the need for handling and weighing blood-saturated sponges in the operating room, which is frequently required at present to determine a volume of blood replacement required for a patient during surgery.